Everything We See
by arilovexo
Summary: She's angry because he blew her off. He's angry because she won't listen to him. When his brother finally tells her what's been going on with him, she realizes that what you see on the outside, isn't always the same as what's going on in the inside. Ross/Laura


_Here's a new story. Actually it's old. It was something I wrote a long time ago as well, but I lost count for how many stories that I've had hidden on my computer. I think this is like nine or ten. Not sure though._

_Anyways, it's kinda sad. I wrote it probably around the time my uncle passed away. I was sad, obviously, since we were super close. And today is the seventh month anniversary of his death. Yeah. So, it's kinda angsty._

_I love how I wrote Riker in this though. Oh my god. I just love it. _

_Enjoy. I don't own anything. _

* * *

><p>Laura let out a sigh, looking around as she checked her iPad to see if she had gotten any messages.<p>

She hadn't received anything so she was officially starting to get nervous.

Disney had organized a meet and greet in New York City, there were a few shows that were going to show up. The leads in whatever show it was, were the ones who would be attending the meet and greet. The energy was insane and she was happy to be there.

Apparently, her "second half" as people called him, didn't feel the same way about it at all.

"Laura, you're up next," A stagehand told her, sticking his head inside the room. She nodded and he looked around, "where's Ross?"

She shrugged, "I have no idea. He promised me he'd be here." She looked down at her hands and let out a sigh. "I hope he doesn't let me down." She mumbled to herself.

Since he'd been doing it a lot lately, she wouldn't be surprised if he did let her down.

Letting out a sigh, she just tapped her fingers against the screen of her iPad and looked away for a brief moment.

"Two minutes." The stagehand reminded her and she nodded.

Two minutes.

She could do this, with or without Ross.

She knew she could.

* * *

><p>Things were going okay. At least she guessed it was going okay.<p>

It had only been about ten minutes so she really couldn't judge it for sure, but the audience had been pretty warm towards her ever since she'd gotten on stage.

She was answering questions and laughing with them.

Until a little girl asked this one, "where's Austin?"

She blinked. Austin?

Oh, right. It clicked in her mind, she probably meant Ross, but only knew him as Austin.

"I don't know." She answered back.

"Why don't you know?" Someone else shouted, "don't you work with him?"

She nodded, "we haven't seen each other in a while, he's been on tour so…"

"Was he supposed to be here with you?" Someone else asked and she just decided to go with the only answer she could think of.

"Let's just say he broke a promise." She answered back. "Okay, any other questions?"

Thankfully the next question was more about the show and her upcoming projects. She really wasn't in the mood to talk more about Ross and his apparent newfound ability to break promises.

* * *

><p>She was so angry. So angry at him for skipping out on something that was important. Not only to her, but the fans and the damn company they worked for.<p>

She said goodbye to everyone, plastered a (fake) smile on her face and with that, stormed backstage as soon as she was out of their sight.

She pulled off the in-ears she had to wear and with that, threw them in her bag, pushing her fingers through her hair, she let out a deep breath and then started to pack up her things and get ready for the signing she had to attend.

There was a knock on the door. She yelled a "come in!" and looked up. She was staring at the mirror, which reflected everything that was behind her. She caught his eye.

"Hey." He said, his fingers going in his pockets.

She spun around, "hey? Hey? That's all you have to say?" She demanded, "you're late!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I just got caught up in-"

"Band stuff?" She snapped at him. "Like always?"

"Well, we have a concert tonight and-"

"You decided that was more important to you then the show, shocker." Laura rolled her eyes and resumed packing up her stuff. He opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head, spinning around again. "You made me a promise, Ross. You said you'd make it, that even though you had your band stuff to do, you'd make it and you didn't."

"I'm sorry." Ross said, "I don't know what else you want me to say."

"This isn't the first time you've broken a promise and put the band first!" She yelled at him, "it's all you do now! It's like because you've traveled the world, you're ego's gotten bigger and you don't care about anything but what the band is doing. I get that they're your family and that would technically mean they come first, but it doesn't mean you blow off everything else! Okay? It doesn't!"

"You don't understand, Laura, I didn't blow this off to make you upset, I blew it off because-"

"You have a concert tonight and needed to be there for soundcheck and meet and greet and the Q&A thing you guys always do. Right okay. I get it, Ross. You don't have to explain anything to me." Her tone was cold.

"Are you not going to listen to what I have to say?" He asked her.

"No, because I don't care. Not anymore. You've broken too many promises for me to care." She responded and with that, pushed passed him. He just watched her leave and let out a sigh, angrily pushing his fingers through his hair as he did.

He knew she wouldn't understand, that she'd never get it. But it didn't mean he would stop trying.

He was never one to give up on anything and this time was not any different than usual.

* * *

><p>"Laura, wait." She heard and looked up to see Stormie was in front of her.<p>

"Hi, Stormie, I don't mean to be rude, but I have to go to the signing." Laura apologized as she walked away, but Stormie stopped her again.

"Don't be mad at Ross."

She raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry?"

"It's not his fault he was late, soundcheck had been delayed a bit and he had to stay to fix whatever was going on." Stormie explained. "He couldn't leave, not even if he wanted to."

"That doesn't excuse his behavior." Laura responded, "I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

"He was more upset he broke a promise he made to you, more so than the promise he had made to the fans." Stormie looked at her, her eye sad. "He's been going through a lot right now, with a few things, please go easy on him?"

"I-" Laura looked down and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I have to go, excuse me."

And with that, for the first time ever, she walked away from the woman who had always been a second mother to her.

* * *

><p>"Hi," She smiled at the little girl who handed her a poster. "What's your name?"<p>

"It's like yours! Lori." She made a face, "I mean it's similar."

Laura laughed, "that it is," She wrote down her name and then a message, with a heart and her signature beside it. "Here you go Lori."

Lori tilted her head, "why isn't Austin here?"

Laura blinked and then realized it was the same girl who had asked her that earlier in the Q&A.

Laura shrugged, "he has more important things to do."

Lori pouted, "I wanted to see him. Mommy says we can't go to his concert because it's too much money. But I wanted to hug him anyways."

Laura opened her mouth to apologize to her when she heard a bunch of cheers erupt from the people in front of her. She looked around and then turned to see Ross was right behind her.

"Guess what?" Ross asked, going around the table on Laura's right side, he dropped down so that he was Lori's height. "I heard you wanted to give me a hug? Where's that hug?" He asked her.

Lori's eyes lit up and she smiled big. She threw her tiny arms around Ross' neck and hugged him tight, "it's really you!"

He softly laughed, "yeah it's me." He rubbed her back and then reached into his back pocket. "And here, these are for you and your mom." He told her, she took it from him and looked up at him confused.

"I can't read yet, what is it?"

"Tickets to my concert tonight. I'll see you there?" He said and she turned to her mother, who just smiled and then tearfully hugged Ross.

"Thank you." She mouthed to him. He nodded.

"It's no problem, really." He responded and then looked at Laura who's eyes weren't as cold as before. He looked down at Lori who had tugged his shirt.

"Will Ally be going too?" She asked him.

He looked at Laura again, she shrugged. He smirked and then pulled out another ticket, "this is for her to come actually." He said and then he gave it to her. She took it from him and looked at him.

"Will you be there?" Lori asked, her eyes and tone hopeful.

"I guess now I have no choice." Laura smiled at her and Lori squealed. She turned to her mother.

"Mommy! Austin and Ally are going to the concert and so are we!"

Ross and Laura laughed.

"We are going to have so much fun! Thank you!" She hugged Ross again and then Laura and with that, she and her mother walked away. Ross walked around the table and then sat down beside her.

"I know you're still mad at me, but I'm here now." He said as he smiled and greeted a fan, taking the poster from them and signing it.

"Yeah," She said, "at least time it's different."

He nodded, "very different." His hand went under the table and he took hers, squeezing it, before letting go and greeting another fan.

* * *

><p>Though she had agreed and said things were different. She wasn't sure she believed it anymore.<p>

She really only trusted that Ross would run off again to another rehearsal or a concert.

She was angry he had been late and missed the Q&A.

All the fans had been looking forward to it and he blew it off.

She bet he'd be there for his band's Q&A and wasn't wrong on it.

After it was over and the band had gone backstage where she was, their eyes had connected and she had rolled her eyes and turned the other direction, storming off.

Ross though caught up to her, his hand on her shoulder, he spun her around. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You." She responded back. "You're my problem."

"Why?"

"Because you break promises!" She yelled at him, "always!"

"I only broke that one why are you-"

"Oh, right, like you promised you'd go to my graduation?" She shot back and she knew she'd made a point when he was silent. "But wait, you never showed up for that. Shocker."

He didn't say anything so she just turned around, ready to walk off when he finally seemed to find his voice.

"You know I'm busy, all the time." He said, his hand moving to convey his words. She turned around. "Literally, all the fucking time. And you have the audacity to tell me I break promises?"

"Yes, because you make promises to me and to your fans and you break them. That's just the way shit goes with you doesn't it, Ross? The band comes first, I get it. But you seem to forget where you come from and that's not okay."

"Colorado?"

"No, genius. Austin and Ally made you who you are today. If you hadn't booked that role, you'd probably still be playing for small audiences instead of selling out stadiums all over the world. That's the truth." She stared at him, her tone and words cold. He just stared right back at her.

"You're a bitch." He whispered to her.

"And you're a douchebag," She responded.

"At least, unlike you, I can accept that."

She shook her head, "no you can't. It's going to kill you and you know it."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I've had enough of your bullshit that's why." She responded. "You don't have sex with a girl, you claim to 'care about more than anything', promise to show up for her graduation, blow that off, leave for two months, promise you'll show up at an event for your own show and then blow it off."

"I didn't blow it off, I showed up."

Her hands went into her hair, "you were late!" She shouted, her hands moving away from her head.

"So? At least I showed up!" He yelled back at her.

"You know what?" She stepped back, shaking her head. "Go be that rockstar douchebag you've become, because this Ross, the one I see in front of me, is sure as hell, not the one I met and fell for three years ago." She stared hard at him and he swallowed.

"Fine, then leave." He said.

"Fine." She responded, "but don't expect me to come running back to you when we shoot season four."

He didn't say anything, instead he just turned around and walked away.

Laura felt tears come to her eyes and turned around as well. She heard her name being called and then paused, sniffling, she turned around only to see Riker was behind her.

"I don't really want to talk about what you did or didn't hear or saw or whatever." She said, about to walk away, but Riker shook his head.

"No, you're going to stay and talk to me." He told her.

She spun around angrily, "what is it with you Lynches? Leave me alone!" She yelled at him.

"Stop yelling at me and listen." He responded, his tone wasn't loud, but it was pretty firm. He continued before she could walk off. "You don't know the shit Ross has been through these last few months, so give him a break."

"A break?" She laughed sarcastically, "you're kidding me."

"I'm not." Riker responded.

"What is this big Ross Lynch secret?" She demanded. "Tell me or I'm walking away forever."

"Stop being a moody bitch and I will." Riker snapped. She shut up. "Okay, when we were on tour in Europe, we went out to clubs and partied a bit. He met a girl in a club we were in. I have no idea if she was a fan or not or if she knew of him, but anyway, he snuck off with her. We couldn't find him for like a day. Luckily we had the day off or we would have been pretty much fucked but anyway, he eventually came back and when we questioned where he was he shrugged, like he had no idea, said something about a girl and then twitched. It was fucking weird," Riker paused, as Laura blinked her eyes, coming to a realization. He continued, "it continued all the way until we got the last stop of the tour and Rocky started to notice he wasn't sleeping, he was pale and he had actually lost a little weight. I thought it was just because we were playing shows until late at night and then waking up early and maybe he was sleep deprived, but Rydel and Ellington were up watching a movie one night and they saw him sneak out. They followed him to a kind of shitty area and he had exchanged money with someone for a small baggy."

Laura's eyes widened, she knew where he was going with this.

"Before he could walk off, they confronted him and he just broke down, gave in and showed them what he had bought."

"Drugs?" She asked quietly.

He nodded, "coke, actually."

"Oh my god." Laura gasped, her hands going to her mouth in shock.

"He missed your graduation because he was in treatment." Riker told her. "We caught it early enough that it wasn't like an intense addiction, but coke is serious shit and he wanted to get better, so he was happy that he'd gotten caught. In a way, he wanted it to happen."

Laura nodded, "then what was his excuse today?"

"It's a day by day thing," Riker told her. "It's only been about a month since he got out. He's slowly transitioning into things and literally one of us is on his ass like every moment of the day."

Laura get her eyes fill with tears, "why did this happen?" She quietly asked him.

He shrugged, "nobody knows."

"Nobody but Ross." She said and Riker nodded, he stepped forward and gave her a hug.

"Go to his dressing room, talk to him. Now that you know what happened, I think you'll understand more when he explains what's going on." Riker said, looking down at her and she nodded against his chest. "He really does love you, you know." He added and Laura closed her eyes, feeling her heart flutter.

* * *

><p>She was nervous.<p>

So, so nervous.

And still angry, but she felt like she needed to cool it and listen to what Ross had to say first.

She knocked on the door and it opened to reveal Ross, his hair was messy and his eyes looked red, like he had been crying.

"You're still here," His voice was raspy, which was probably not a good thing since he had to go onstage in a little under an hour.

She nodded, "can I come in to talk to you?" She asked, quietly and he nodded, opening the door wider. She had noticed Rydel was in the room with him and as she passed by, she gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, before walking out of the room.

"Why are you still here?" Ross asked her as she took a seat on the couch. She looked up at him and watched as he went to sit down beside her.

"I talked to Riker," She responded and then turned to him. "I know everything."

He nodded, looking down a moment before looking back up at her again. "You do?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her tone cracking a bit. "Why didn't you tell me the real reason why you blew off my graduation?"

Ross sighed, his hands going to his hair, he just let his head hang, "because it was embarrassing."

"How so?"

He looked at her, "you mean you wouldn't be embarrassed to tell me you had a drug addiction?" He had a point there. "I did coke, for a good month and then went to treatment to detox myself or whatever it is you do. I missed your graduation because I was in fucking rehab."

"I know that." She said, sitting closer to him, she put her hand on his back. "Look, I was mad because I didn't know the real reason why you didn't show up. After what happened at the wrap party and you said what you said, I thought it was real, what we have and that day, I was just so angry I didnt even think there was something seriously wrong with you."

"It only started in Europe."

"And it could have continued on, Ross. It's an addiction and luckily your family caught it before it got too serious. If they hadn't, you'd probably be cracked out right now."

He nodded, "I am lucky for that." He admitted.

"You are very lucky." She told him. "Extremely lucky."

"I know." He whispered.

She then put her head on his shoulder, surprising him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too."

Then he hugged her and she hugged him back, letting out a deep breath of relief she hadn't realized she had been holding throughout their entire conversation.

* * *

><p>The concert was amazing, as it usually was. Laura hadn't doubted it wouldn't be.<p>

Ross had given Lori and her mother backstage passes so they were back to hanging out with them for a few moments and if she was being honest, it was probably one of the cutest things she had ever seen.

After it was over, she was outside the venue, in the back, just walking around and thinking to herself, when the door opened and she turned around.

She saw Ross walk over to her.

"Why are you out here by yourself?" He asked her.

"I just…I needed a minute to myself." She responded.

"You're not a bitch," He said a second later and she raised an eyebrow. "You're not and I'm sorry I called you that."

"Ross-"

"You're amazing and beautiful and forgiving and you just care so much about the people you love," His hand went to her cheek and she looked up at him. He looked at her. "I'm sorry I disappointed you, I've disappointed everybody and that wasn't my intention." He paused and she just let him continue, knowing it was best for him to just get this off his chest. "I didn't want to take the drugs, I don't know why I did it, or maybe I do, I just haven't figured that out yet, but I was just mentally messed up for some reason. I guess maybe I wanted to full rockstar experience, whatever it was, it didn't work out for me, clearly and I was just a shitty person and I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to me," Laura whispered, she noticed the tears in his eyes and saw one slip down his cheek. She probably had the same problem. The moment was so emotional for them both.

"Yes I do."

"Why?"

"Because, Laura. I-" He stopped himself from going further.

She just blinked at him.

And then he went for it.

"I love you."

Her heart started to beat fast and she wasn't sure she had heard him right at first.

But before she could say anything, he continued.

"I love you, Laura and I know that doesn't excuse everything I've done in the last few months or weeks or hours or whatever, but it's the truth. Like I told you before I left, I like you, but really, I was just too scared to admit the truth. I'm in love with you and… I just don't want to lose you. Ever."

Laura had closed her eyes, but opened them at that moment. He was staring right at her and she knew he hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire time.

She nodded, biting her lip as tears came to her eyes.

And finally, she said the thing she had been holding back for as long as he had.

"I'm in love with you too," She whispered and then her arms went around his neck and she pulled him closer, pressing her forehead against his. They laughed lightly as his hands went to waist and he lightly tickled her.

Then, they looked at each other.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Five seconds passed and nothing happened.

It was actually a memorable moment, for them both. A kind of moment they would never forget.

Then finally, "fuck it," came out of Ross' mouth and he leaned in and gently kissed her, only to break it before she could kiss him back and then really go for it, him pulling her as close as possible and kissing her much deeper.

She kissed him back, with just as much passion as he was giving her and then they slowly broke it off.

She giggled, her lips still against his.

"What?" He asked her, kissing her again.

"That's what you said right before you kissed me the last time," She reminded him and he tilted his head confused. She found it adorable. Kinda like an innocent puppy. "You said, 'fuck it' and then kissed me. I commented about how it was the most romantic thing ever and made a sarcastic comment about how deep it was."

Ross laughed, remembering that moment.

"Maybe it is romantic, in our own little way," He suggested.

Laura stayed silent and shrugged one shoulder, a smirk on her lips.

"Fuck it," She said, she smiled as Ross kissed her.

And this time, he kept going and didn't stop it until they were both completely breathless.

* * *

><p>Laura had her head down, staring at her hand and Ross' that were linked together. She giggled as he squeezed it and then she did the same thing, putting a strand of hair behind her ear, looking up just as Rocky turned his head towards them.<p>

"Holy crap, they're holding hands," He said, gaining the attention of his brothers, sister, friends and parents.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Rydel asked.

"What that we've started a courtship?" Ross asked her and she playfully rolled her eyes. "Well, we're too new school for that, so yeah. We started something."

Laura liked that.

They started "something."

"We'll confirm what that something is as soon as we figure it out ourselves," Laura told them and then Rocky just smiled.

"Points if I interrupt you, right?" He asked.

"More like ass kicked if you interrupt us," Ross responded.

"Anyways," Rydel gave her younger brothers a look and clapped her hands, "you're happy! That's what's most important, right?" She asked.

Ross looked at Laura and she looked back at him. He nodded, looking back at his sister, "right, exactly."

Laura nudged him and he sighed and looked up at his family. "Go for it," She whispered encouragingly.

"I know this is probably gonna sound super shitty and a lot like bullshit, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a jerk and I'm sorry that I was such a horrible person to be around these last few months. This apology won't make up for it, I get that but-"

"But nothing," Riker said and Ross looked at him, a bit shocked. Everyone else did the same thing. "You fucked up bad, Ross, and you scared the shit out of us, but it doesn't make you a horrible person." He paused, looking around at everyone, before going back to his brother. "It doesn't change the fact that we all still love you, that I still love you and most importantly, that Laura still loves you." To Ross' surprise, Riker's eyes became teary. "It was scary, watching you go through what you did, but you didn't fight us when we sent you to get help. You accepted it and that-" RIker put his hand on his shoulder and stared right at him, "that makes you an amazing person. We're proud of you, Ross." Riker's lower lip trembled with emotion and Ross hugged him, immediately as he finally let go, crying into Riker's shoulder. Laura let go of his hand and let the brothers have their moment, the family soon joining them as she just watched them.

It was emotional, it was beautiful and it was exactly what Laura needed to see.

And she was more than happy she had gotten the chance to.

* * *

><p>She was playing the piano on set, two weeks after she and Ross had confessed their love for each other.<p>

Two weeks after Ross made up with his family. Officially.

And now, she was seeing him again, for the first time since then as it was time to film season four and he had been busy with the band.

She was so into what she was playing that she hadn't realized she wasn't alone.

"That was amazing," Ross quietly said, as he sat down on the piano bench beside her. "Play more."

She smiled and did as he said, her hands moving along the keyes so beautifully. When she was finished, she looked up at him, his hand going on top of hers.

"I missed you," He whispered.

"I missed you too." She whispered back.

Then, "fuck it," and with that, he captured his lips with hers in a sweet and gentle kiss. She smiled into it and then kissed him back. They broke about half an inch apart, but Ross wasn't going to let her get away that easily. "Let's make this official." He said.

"Make what official?" She asked.

He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and then raised it so that they could both see it.

"Now it's official." Then he kissed her again, squeezing her hand in his as his lips moved against hers.

"Okay, boyfriend," She smiled against his lips.

"Okay, girlfriend." He responded back, kissing for just a moment, before he pulled away and blinked his eyes.

"What?" She tilted her head to the side.

"We sound just like Rydel and Ellington," He responded back and she laughed, shaking her head, she pulled him closer, with her free hand, her fingers tangling in his hair. "We have to go to read through soon," He murmured against her lips.

"Let them wait for a few more minutes," She responded back. "I wanna kiss my boyfriend for a little while longer."

He wasn't going to argue with that.

And as her lips captured his, they both realized they would be okay. Because it wasn't the end. It would never be the end for them.

* * *

><p><em>Sadly, though it is the end for this story. <em>

_All done. All good. All right. _

_Okay, reviews would be rad. So, rad._

_You're all thee best. Remember that. _

_Much love xx _


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